Tuesday, April 20, 2004

I just watched the music video for Hoobastank's song, "The Reason." I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of this song. I have problems with whiny alternative bands, and for some reason, Hoobastank reminds me a lot of the Goo Goo Dolls, one of my least favorite bands of all time. I didn't like "Crawling in the Dark," which is actually a shame, since the Trojan Marching Band plays a pretty decent cover of that song. But anyway, I digress. "The Reason" just seemed like another trite piece of garbage, perfect for angst-ridden livejournal entries of 13 year old girls. For purely illustrative purposes (and because I share a lot more with melodramatic teenagers than I care to admit), let me quote the lyrics.

I'm not a perfect person
as many things I wish I didn't do
but I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
and so I have to say before I go
that I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
to change who I used to be
a reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you
it's something I must live with everyday
and all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
and be the one who catches all your tears
that's why I need you to hear

I've found a resaon for me
to change who I used to be
a reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
and so I have to say before I go
that I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
to change who I used to be
a reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I've found a reason to show
a side of me you didn't know
a reason for all that I do
and the reason is you

Your stereotypical sappy love rock ballad. Pure sentimental trash, really. But I think Hoobastank (or the director of the video) is in on the joke. Despite the fact that this song taps into the vein of popular culture, this band created a perfect music video for this song that totally ridicules the lumbering emotional sincerity of "The Reason." Their music video combines a pretty girl, a melodramatic plotline, and a subversive undertone that totally adds new meaning to the words of the song.

The genius concept? They stage a car accident with a pretty girl in order to rob a bank. They're not a perfect person? Of course not, they stole a ruby! And where are they going? To jail! And why can't they be there for the "you" persona? Because they're idiots and left a bunch of clues that lead the police to them. And they're changing because...? Because they want to reduce their jail sentence. And what's that "side of me you didn't know?" Oh, yup, the side BEHIND BARS. Essentially, this is a song about the repercussions of getting caught in the act. They aren't doing a damned thing for love. They're backtracking in order to dupe someone to pay for the attorney's fees.

Amazing. Kudos to Hoobastank.